The Mak

I can't remember where I heard this, but apparently in America in either the NFL and/or MLB they have similar sanctions and the money from a club's (massive) fine is distributed evenly between the other teams in the league who did not break sanctions...maybe an American brethren can confirm this, but call me crazy, it seems like a much more reasonable solution compared to fines going straight in Platini's pockets...try telling him that!

They will appeal and we'll find out if they're serious about FFP or not. I suspect they'll cave. Even still, a 2-3 year transfer ban is much more devastating to City than £50m over 3 years (which probably won't even added to their deficit). It's a nice summer bonus for Platini anyway...

- Click your profile dropdown up in the top right next to the message icon. - Click 'Manage Ignore Prefs' at the bottom - Type in 'The only place to be' - Have a happier life

@The Skipper,@dee25 I'd just like to take a moment to highly recommend the 'ignore' feature; it's fantastic! I've had 'The only place to bullshit' on ignore for a good few months now and it's all I hoped to be, and more! I'm just glad he had that extra drink after the game (who wouldn't, right?), as it seems to have spurred him on to show his true colours and make one of the most cringeworthy posts I have ever seen (quoted). I've had him nailed on as a self-entitled, sanctimonious little so and so for quite sometime now, but I'm glad he's lived up to the billing for everyone else to see. I also highly recommend 'ignore' mainly because it also limits the amount of chances for such rhetoric to be spewed all over the forum.

Gems like this help me keep the faith in this forum. Damn son, beat me to it!

Nah. I'm actually hoping we told him not to bother coming back from Madrid since he loves them so much!

This is all very well and good, but can he defend?!

Roman needs to give Mou as much time as he wants as long as we're improving as a team each season...which we are.

Nah. I've a strong feeling that the reason Atletico acted so 'gentlemanly' over the whole Courtois playing against us thing is because we're going to get Costa. They could've even said 'take the fee owed out of the Costa deal and we're good'. Maybe Courtois will stay there for one more season as well like you said; I'd say he definitely will if we get him for only £32-35m. I doubt very much he'll go the other way in any deal.

Shaw or GTFO.

When you play like we do you can't afford any mistakes. It looks great when it comes off (Liverpool, City), but when you make 2 mistakes like we did for the first two goals everything pretty much goes to shit. No complaints. We weren't good enough/up for it on the night and they were. (I also thought Hazard wasn't 100% and either shouldn't have played or at least should've been taken off first).

Well, I think it's safe to say goodbye to Luiz if we make it to the final anyway; starting in midfield and 1 yellow away from suspension.

Jumped up milky bar kid tosspot!

Thanks for reminding me! It's never nice to see Hansen's face, but tonight...

Thank fuck he is off the pitch

Jesus Demba, I'll love you forever if we end up winning this, but learn how to fucking pass.

Very poor from Willian there! All the space in the world to pass it into. He's doing brilliantly otherwise.

Too slow Demba!

Mo looks more up for it than Schurrle, I thought he'd be off for Willian.

Demba Ba = Bambi on ice

I've a feeling that Kalas is going to be absolutely murdered today...

Now thats what I'm talkin' bout. You gettin' me all excited boy!

I'm not so sure. Atletico are basically us with a decent striker but, like us, they still look clueless without space to play. I think Mourinho was so conservative because he knew that if we did to Atletico what the small teams do to us, they would not score. More importantly, committing more men forward and/or having the likes of Schurrle on instead of Ramires would've dramatically increased the chances of us getting into a 'you attack, we attack situation'. If that happened, we would inevitable lose due to their advantage of Costa. While I don't 100% agree with what Mourinho did, I understand it completely.

Having the title in our hands in the last 4 games, being 1-0 up to the team at the bottom of the league in the first of those games and losing 2-1 is a massive, massive failure; no matter how you look at it. It's been a success overall though for Mourinho and some key players like Cahill, Terry, Azpi and Hazard who have all improved. However, when the character of team has been tested in games like yesterday, the team as a collective unit never showed enough balls. So that aspect is a failure. I'm hoping a few new faces in (and out) in the summer will give us more confidence in these situations.

No, they didn't. Suarez was already bought. They bought Carroll with Torres money and, subsequently, the likes of Downing and Adam in the summer.